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Dave M

Cubs fans all over are counting down the days until Spring Training kicks off in 2010. Until then, I’m going to try and interview as many as I can and post the interviews here, on Prose and Ivy.

Today’s Prosecard comes from Dave M. in Chicago, IL. Dave is a huge Cubs fan and can be found on Twitter at @dat_cubfan_dave. Dat Cub Fan Dave took some time out of his busy Friday afternoon and answered the following questions. And really, what says I’m a Cubs fan more than taking the afternoon off and enjoying yourself some Cubs baseball?

Here now is @dat_cubfan_dave’s “Prosecard from Cubs Nation” on Prose and Ivy:

Well, like many Cubs fans, it’s genetic. My Mom told me once that she usedto listen to Cubs games on the radio with her grandfather (that would be mygreat-grandfather for those of you keeping score at home). So I like torefer to myself as a fourth generation Cubs fan. And, growing up, my Momalways had Cubs games on TV during the summer so, again, like many others,WGN played a huge role in my Cubs fandom. I used to get so excited watchingthe games that I couldn’t even finish watching them – I’d have to run out tothe garage, grab my glove and a tennis ball, and spend the remainder of thegame bouncing the ball off our garage, pretending I was a Cubs player (oractually the whole team, come to think of it). Seeing as how this was themid- to late-70s, I wasn’t exactly missing out on too manychampionship-level teams.

Favorite Cubs memory:

It’s hard to pick just one. Maybe walking into Wrigley Field for the firsttime as a kid. Seeing the brilliantly green grass and legendary ivy explodebefore my eyes as I reached that top step…wow…there’s nothing like it.More recently, it might be watching Jim Edmonds catch the final out in thedivision-clinching game last year. I really felt like that team was the One.They had it all: Something old (Lou), something new (Kosuke), somethingborrowed (Edmonds), something blue (er, well, I guess everything was blue).Fukudome’s Wrigley debut is another favorite. Oh, and Kerry Wood homering inthe ’03 NLCS. For a brief moment, it felt like the magic was back. Sadly, itwas not. As you can see, I could go on.

Favorite current Cub:

Again, it’s hard to choose. I suppose the obvious answer is Derrek Lee.He’s a player I have enormous respect for, both on and off the field. I wasreally, really happy to see him prove all the naysayers wrong this season.Among the pitchers, I’d probably pick Ryan Dempster. I’ve happened to attendone of his starts in each of the last two years and he’s won both games. Hemay not be the best pitcher in terms of stuff or results, but I appreciateall he’s done for the Cubs since he arrived here. (And, yeah, I know he’sgetting paid handsomely for it.) He also seems like a really smart and,obviously, funny guy – and I admire that. I’ve also always been a big SeanMarshall fan, too. Not sure why – maybe it’s because I watched his debut in’06 vs. the Cards on TV and was really rooting for him. Like Demp, he’s aguy who’s gone out and done whatever the team has asked in a really gutsyway. I’d also like to give a shout-out to Randy Wells, who was among thebrightest of bright spots in a very frustrating ’09 season. Ted Lilly is atotal badass. He scares me – in a good way. Big Z is the man…I actuallyhad a dream I was hanging out with him the other night. Seriously. Onceagain, as you can see, I’m not very good at picking only one favorite.

Favorite all-time Cub:

Well, growing up, my favorite Cub was Bill Madlock. So maybe I’ll juststick with that. I suppose I won’t truly know my all-time favorite Cub untilI’m about to take my seat in those Great Bleachers in the Sky.

Your dream starting Chicago Cub line up would be?

Wow, this answer could take some time. I don’t quite have the energy to take a historical approach. And I tend to break out in hives when people put together their “fantasy” lineups of what the Cubs could look like next season. TRADE FOR ADAM LIND!!! GET HALLADAY!!! How ’bout dreaming somewhat realistically regarding next season:

1. Kosuke Fukudome RF

2. Jeff Baker 2B

3. Derrek Lee 1B

4. Aramis Ramirez 3B

5. Alfonso Soriano LF

6. Geovany Soto C

7. Mike Cameron CF

8. Ryan Theriot SS

9. Pitcher.

Dang, that’s really right-handed but, hey, it’s all I’ve got at the moment. I think Cameron, signed to a one- or two-year deal, would be a good stopgap centerfielder for the time being. This Milton Bradley thing could really go any number of ways and it’s hard to know what the team will end up looking like until it’s resolved. For the time being, I’m focusing on centerfielders, because I think Kosuke’s defense is a big plus in right field.

How would you celebrate a Cubs championship?

Ha, any way I could. I don’t get to watch too many of the games socially,so I’d probably be alone when it happened – jumping up and down, screamingsilently (to not wake up my wife and daughter) and scaring the hell out ofour cats.

Most feared opposing batter?

Well, the obvious answer is Albert Pujols, isn’t it? But there’s a reallyeasy way to lessen that fear: Don’t pitch to him! It drove me crazy howoften the Cubs did that with an open base this season. Joe Torre had theright idea in the NLDS. Let’s see, who else? The Diamondbacks’ Chris Youngis an awful hitter who always seems to put one in the seats vs. the Cubs. Ihave a feeling the Reds’ Joey Votto is going to be a thorn in our side forsome time. On the bright side, I have to believe the Astros’ Carlos Lee isnearing retirement. Let’s see, what other egregious Cubs killers can I throwin here? Prince Fielder: Monster. I wish the Brewers would trade him to theAL for some pitching and get it over with. I’m not exactly thrilled whengoogly-eyed Ryan Braun comes to the plate either. I think that about coversthe division. Oh, wait…I forgot the Pirates. Um, yeah, Andrew McCutchen -toolsy!

Most feared opposing pitcher?

Oh, that’s easy. Doug freakin’ Davis. Basically, any pitcher that throws inslow motion is going to shut us down. Dan Haren, check. Jamie Moyer, check.On a more serious note, Tim Lincecum is probably my favorite non-Cubspitcher. He’s a lot of fun to watch – not against the Cubs, of course,though I feel like they handled him pretty well this year. If I recallcorrectly, we almost won the game he pitched at Wrigley and then Big Zoutpitched him in San Fran at season’s end. That was a great game. And thennaturally you have the two-headed monster at the top of the Cardinalsrotation now. On the bright side, I do think Jim Hendry deserves some creditfor putting together some decent starting staffs since the Great RotationCollapse of ’06. (Where have you gone, Juan Mateo?)

You can either sing “Take me out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inningstretch or call a half inning on WGN. Which would you rather do and why?

I’ll take the singing gig, thanks. I’ll leave the game-calling to the pros,though I wouldn’t mind tossing in the odd Santo-esque “Geez!” and “Yes,sir!” if I could.

One thing you would change about Wrigley Field?

Hm, I dunno…move it closer to where I live? I do know it needs upgrades.I’m going to say they need to get that Triangle Building thing done. As afan attending a game for three or four hours, I can live with some of theantiquated aspects of Wrigley. I’d rather the players have decent battingcages and the front office have the facilities they need to workeffectively, expand the scouting department, and put together well-rounded,consistently competitive baseball teams.

One thing you would change about the game of baseball?

Well, to make a topical reference, I think I’m in favor of expandinginstant replay to some limited extent. I understand the concerns aboutdrawing out the games, but I think there’s got to be some middle groundbetween reviewing every strike call and dribbler down the line and thecurrent “home runs only” policy. One interesting idea I read was giving eachteam a limited number of “replay calls” a game and then letting managersfactor it into their game strategy. Honestly, even if expanded, I don’tthink instant replay would come up all that often. But when I see some ofthese calls being made in the playoffs…sheesh…something needs to bedone.

You’re having dinner in the Cubs clubhouse and can invite any four Cubs,living or dead. Who would you invite and why?

Well, the site of Rogers Hornsby’s shambling corpse sidling up to thedinner table might put me off my salad, but I’ll play along. Um, how ’bouttwo of each: Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano on the breathing side andOrval Overall (because I like his name) and Ken Hubbs (because his is such atragic story- in a rock star kinda way).

Do you believe the Cubs are cursed? Yes or no and why?

No, I do not think the Cubs are cursed. And let me just go on record assaying we Cubs fans could do ourselves a big favor by ignoring this topic tofullest extent possible. A curse is a shallow, superstitious excuse forwhat’s gone wrong with this team over the decades. If this team marshallsits considerable financial resources; puts savvy, 21st century managementand scouting in place; and starts fielding competitve teams on a regularbasis, a championship will come. I believe that.

More vital to the Cubs’ success…Getting Soriano back on track? GettingSoto back on track? Trading Bradley? Landing a new leadoff man?

Well, I’ll take the easiest question first: The Cubs don’t need a leadoffman – especially an overpaid one in his 30s. (Hi, Chone Figgins!) There’stoo much emphasis on speed when looking at leadoff guys. I look at OBP andPPA (pitches per plate appearance), and Kosuke Fukudome fulfills both thosecategories quite nicely. Trading Bradley is probably the first step towardputting the 2010 team in a position to succeed, if only because he’ll be ahuge distraction if he’s not gone by the time spring training rolls around.I’m not a Bradley hater – I actually think he’s an immesely talentedbaseball player. But his situation has become more of an employment issu
ethan a baseball one. Both sides need to part ways and move on. It’s a shamebecause the team could really use his OBP at the top of the lineup (at thevery least). It’s also a shame because he’s worsened the Cubsalready-precarious financial situation. In any case, to answer yourquestion, getting Soriano back on track is probably the most vital thing. Ateam can’t lose that much production from its starting left fielder withoutsuffering mightily. Geo is important, too, but he’s a catcher – and still arelatively young player – so it’s a little more reasonable to expect alittle less from him than his glorious rookie season gave us. He stillobviously needs to hit better and stay healthy.

The Cubs have just won the World Series and you have been given theassignment of writing the lead story, covering this moment in baseballhistory. Come up with 5 of the most creative headlines you can to kick offyour article:

You have 30 seconds to convince Hendry to either keep or trade MiltonBradley. He will listen to you if your argument is convincing enough. Whatdo you say to him…and if it’s trade…who would you trade him for?

Jimbo, buddy, dude…can we build one of those “Men in Black” laser thingsthat makes everyone completely forget what they just saw? If so, let’s do itand obliterate the memories of every Cubs player, coach, fan and mediamember and give Milton another shot. What? You never saw “Men in Black”?Well, that’s a shame…it’s pretty entertaining. Holds up rather well.Anyway, how’s about blowing in a call to Dombrowski in Detroit and seewhether we can con him into giving us Curtis Granderson. Maybe we could takeDontrelle Willis contract as well and turn him into a set-up guy. And ifthat doesn’t work…hell, I don’t know…just get Rowand from the Giants. Hewas a pretty good hitter when he wasn’t playing in a pitcher’s park. Andwe’ll probably get a lot of free publicity when he explodes like acantaloupe running into the centerfield wall at Wrigley.

You are the hopeful new owner of the Chicago Cubs. The last thing standingin the way of the deal getting done is you must decide one thing to changeat Wrigley Field. Have to. Would you either take away the ivy on the wall,update the scoreboard to an giant HD screen, or change the outer marquee?And…why?

Those are my options? Geez. Um…I guess I’d change the marquee – put it ina museum somewhere maybe. Or, better yet, my garage. You can’t touch the ivyand you’d be putting guys out of work by replacing the scoreboard.

You are Steve Bartman. It is 2003 and you have the opportunity to see theCubs play in the postseason at Wrigley Field and potentially close out theNLCS making your way to the World Series. However, you are warned that itis guaranteed that either you will become one of the most hated Cubs fans inhistory, OR you will see them make it to their first World Series inforever. 50-50 shot. Do you attend the game?

I stay home and listen to Pat and Ron seeing as how I’m going to wear thosestupid-looking headphones anyway.

You’re hired to run the Cubs 2010 public relations campaign. You can useany slogan, player, etc that you want to. What is your advertisingcampaign/slogan for the 2010 season?

Your 2010 Chicago Cubs: We’re SO much better than that.

Thanks to Dave M. (@dat_cubfan_dave) for answering the questions and taking a few minutes (blowing off work) to talk Cubs baseball with Prose and Ivy. If you’d like to be featured in the next Prosecard from Cubs Nation, please email me at proseandivy@cubsmvp.com and I will send you a bunch of questions to answer and feature right here on the site! GO CUBS GO!